Credit: Jonathan F.
The Lil prefix is one of rap's most enduring trends, but why are there so many Lil rappers? Sometimes it's based on actual height, but not always—Lil Flip is 6'1" and Lil Durk is 5'11", for example. Some Lil's have been called that since childhood, some took it to differentiate themselves from an OG, and in some cases the answer isn't clear at all.
For our final Lil Week feature, we decided to shed some light on the situation by finding out how Lil rappers ranging from Bow Wow to Xan got their names.
Catch up with all the Lil Week content, from playlists to polls to Michael Cera on The Carter album covers, here.
Lil Jon
"Well it started in high school... I used to wear these glasses like Spike Lee, and they started calling me Lil Spike. Then I started hangin’ out with another John and he had another friend named John also. The other John was huge, so they called him Big John, and I was the smallest so I was Lil Jon. I'm never gonna change it. It’s been Lil so long why take it out now? Also, people are so familiar with it I don’t think I could. It’s like Mr. T cutting his mohawk."
G Herbo (Formerly Lil Herb)
"My government name is Herbert, it’s also my father’s name, so everyone around me—my family, my homies, everyone—was already calling me Lil Herb before I even started rappin'. The change from Lil Herb to G Herbo just went along with my natural transition from a boy to a man. ‘G’ stands for General where I’m from, it’s a term of respect and a symbol of leadership”
Lil Durk
"It's my pop’s nickname. His real name is Dante but he went by Durk. He named me after his nickname. My real name is Durk Banks. I haven't really considered changing it, it’s everything I’ve known. If I ever do change it, I’ll still always answer to it."
Lil Wop
"Everyone knows this answer: Gucci Mane is my biggest influence. That's why I got the ice cream cone tatt and called myself Lil Wop. And my birthday is 10/17."
Lil Uzi Vert
Lil Uzi vert explained to E! on the red carpet that he already had the Vert part of his name when someone said to him, "You rap fast, like a machine gun, like a lil uzi or something."
Lil West
"I just wanted something easy for somebody to remember. I feel like it was moreso inspired by Yung Lean—it's real simple but when you listen to the music it's different, more unique. I've considered changing my name just cause it's getting real common, I started to get overshadowed by the big ones."
Lil Yachty
"I was in a group called the Yacht Club and they were all older than me. I was kind of the baby," Lil Yachty told Hot97 of how he got his name, echoing the way a lot of Lil rappers got the prefix. "It's just like a brand," he added, of the nautical them that runs through his music.
Lil Xan
When we interviewed Lil Xan in December 2017 he told us: "I always wondered what the longevity of the name Lil Xan would be. I always contemplated whether I’d have to change it, but I learned you don’t have to if the formula is working. It’s great. It’s beautiful. The only thing that might change is I might drop the ‘Lil.’"
Not long after, Xan Tweeted that "one day" his rap name would simply be Diego, with the change reflecting a natural evolution in his sound and content. This year, he told Nardwuar, "I'm still Lil Xan. You can call me Diego if you want. My second album, I'm going to be full Diego."
Lil Windex
"My homies used to always catch me sippin' Windex on the low, after a while they just started calling me Windex as a nickname. I don't advise ever doing it though... I mean, look how I turned out right? As for the Lil, that comes from my dick size. It's tiny, like a little almond, its quite sad. ANYWAYS, next question. I haven't ever really considered taking the Lil out, I mean, c'mon bruh, that's like asking for a lawsuit. I might as well stand outside of Windex head quarters and scream 'sue me' while playing my hit track 'Cleaning Up'... RIKIKI... yolo."
Lil Bow Wow
Shad Moss fka Bow Wow fka Lil Bow Wow has gone through a bunch of name changes, but his original name was given to him by the legend Snoop Dogg in the '90s. Moss broke it down in an interview with MTV:
"When I went out to L.A. with Snoop, I had done a couple of little shows, and I finished the tour out with Snoop. That day he said, "Your name is gonna be Bow Wow. We're gonna change it." I didn't like it; he did. Since everybody had dog names, it kinda just flowed. I was like "Well, OK, that's fine," and I just kept that name ever since. I ain't gonna change it."
By 2002, Lil Bow Wow was just Bow Wow, explaining, "I changed my name because I'm getting older now and it's too many Lils. All these Lil rappers, I'm just kind of getting real irritated by it. Besides, I'm growing up, I'm not little anymore. [I just decided] two weeks ago. I really got irritable. It's all these Lil cats, forget it. I'm Bow Wow now."
Finally, in 2014, he became Shad Moss, sharing the news in an Instagram post: